"Fascist Traitors:" Now, They Will Be Exposed

Jamie Raskin has a way of saying things that stick. He made another statement today, at the Special Committee on the Events of 1/6 hearing, that stuck well and I hope this phrase resonates throughout the investigation.

Fascist traitors. That's what the Congressperson from Maryland, the leader of the indicting group during ex-'s second impeachment trial, called the people who assaulted the Capitol Police and assaulted the Capitol itself that day. Many of them have been rooted out and arrested; they await prosecution.

There wasn't much new, as Pete Williams said on MSNBC today, that was discovered during the riveting testimony of four of the besieged officers who were outnumbered, like the rest of the threatened phalanx, something like 160 to 1. But giving them a chance to speak, to display their disgust and sense of betrayal, was a great way to begin the committee's investigation.

Nothing about that day can now be denied, although the Republican cult surrounding ex- is still trying, and will try, to deny it or at least to diminish it. In perhaps its most ridiculous sense, Elise Stefanik even tried to put the blame for the relative lack of security on Nancy Pelosi, as if Pelosi could have known the exact nature of the threat that day. She knows better, but she must tell another big lie to enhance her status within the cult.

Now that the committee has launched, it has rough work to do. I, for one, believe it will find that:

• The white supremacist groups directly involved coordinated their assault in a brief gesture of unification;
• Either each of them individually, or someone representing all of them together, had direct contact with ex- before 1/6;
• They understood full well the nature of what they were doing--a no-holds-barred coup d'etat; designed to cancel an otherwise token Electoral College certification vote;
• Once gathered, they knew of the sign or code words given to them by ex- to begin the assault;
• Certain members of Congress also knew about the assault beforehand, which is why they took people on tours of the building, pointing out areas that could be breached;
• The lack of timely response on the part of the National Guard that day, and the lack of effect due to its tardiness, was part of the plan of assault, known by military officers directly in charge of releasing them, the idea being to put them out there far too late and with vague, unclear orders to make a show of pretending that they cared; and
• Specific members of Congress (for instance, Democrats trying ex- during the first impeachment trial), as well as then vice-president Mike Pence, were targeted and would have been harmed if not killed by the mob.

Whatever else will be discovered will be gravy. Most importantly, the investigation will continue until it has been thoroughly completed. It is good that more than six months have passed since this despicable event, because:

• The Republicans are still defending it, which tells you the degree to which they are still tethered to ex- ;
• The discussion surrounding it has never subsided;
• We need to view all this again and reckon with it, because we never really have.

There was a shock factor connected to this that obscured relevant facts. It was way too much for anyone to take in all at once. Chaos does that. The relevant facts need to be packaged and delivered to us by members of both parties, especially those as courageous (who shouldn't be regarded as such, but there is where Republicans are now) as Liz Chaney and Adam Kinzinger, two of the very few left who will put country before party. 

Both voted for ex-. Both have strong policy disagreements with Democrats. But both still believe in the America most of us still want to believe in, where compromise overrides paranoia.

The Republicans plan on making a counter-investigation. What they do could backfire. First, their sources must be unimpeachable. Second, they must find things that the Special Committee can't, which means they stand to be accused of subterfuge. Third, they must counter what's already been filmed with the pretense that the film either isn't real or distorts the real event. Ex-'s recent campaign was filled with film clippings that, combined cleverly, presented a completely twisted scenario of anti-facts. I have no doubt that the same producers will soon be at work.

It's vital that we keep our heads on straight and try to reduce our outrage at what will be a new and unique set of Republican lies. That's all they know how to do. That's what they're best at. They're incredibly intimidated by the number one menace to democracy we have ever seen, too. They lust for power. Like Kevin McCarthy, they think they can keep it. They can't. If we remain vigilant, they won't.

Fascist traitors. That's what the mob became by assaulting the Capitol. Keep that in the front of your head. Play that card if someone obnoxiously tries to attack the Special Committee's investigations. Because that's what they were. And are.

Be well. Be careful. With some luck, I'll see you down the road.

Mister Mark